A Lost European Culture, Pulled From Obscurity

[Liffrea]

Before the glory that was Greece and Rome, even before the first cities of Mesopotamia or temples along the Nile, there lived in the Lower Danube Valley and the Balkan foothills people who were ahead of their time in art, technology and long-distance trade.

For 1,500 years, starting earlier than 5000 B.C., they farmed and built sizable towns, a few with as many as 2,000 dwellings. They mastered large-scale copper smelting, the new technology of the age. Their graves held an impressive array of exquisite headdresses and necklaces and, in one cemetery, the earliest major assemblage of gold artifacts to be found anywhere in the world.

The striking designs of their pottery speak of the refinement of the culture’s visual language. Until recent discoveries, the most intriguing artifacts were the ubiquitous terracotta “goddess” figurines, originally interpreted as evidence of the spiritual and political power of women in society.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/01/science/01arch.html?_r=1

[Turkophagos]

Pelasgians?

[Osweo]

Pelasgians?
If it were at all proveable, I'd put money on at least some of these old Neolithic Balkaners having been 'proto-Pelasgian' at least. :thumb001:

I see agriculture as having reached upper Danubian Proto-Indo-Europeans via these people (who we might call Tyrrhenian/Indo-Tyrrhenian, if some long range linguistic hypotheses are correct), who themselves learnt it of speakers of NE Caucasian languages by the Aegean...

[Radojica]

Do we speak here about Vinča culture,or?

[Osweo]

Do we speak here about Vinča culture,or?

They bloody ought to be, but aren't... Big surprise from the New York Times there. The same paper probably played a great part in having your people bombed and politically dismembered in recent years. :mad::(

The article seems more concerned about the 'chalcolithic' stage, a bit later, with more focus on the eastern Balkans. See this map:
javascript:pop_me_up2('http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2009/12/01/science/01arch_graphic.html', '1170_993', 'width=1170,height=993,location=no,scrollbars=yes, toolbars=no,resizable=yes')

There's mention of Varna, on the Black Sea coast, and Cucuteni. (Cucuteni really ought to be mentioned in the same breath as Tripolye, and the more western outposts of similar culture in Transylvania, though. 'PACT' the general complex is sometimes refered to as. The painted pottery of Cucuteni-Tripolye, and the enormous settlements are truly astounding)

But talking about this with no mention of Vinca is indeed a sin. :( I know all about Vinca, Rado, but I'm sure other people here would like to see some pics of the famous figurines if you have links?

(I always found Lepenski Vir to be more interesting, though. :thumb001:)

[Radojica]

They bloody ought to be, but aren't... Big surprise from the New York Times there. The same paper probably played a great part in having your people bombed and politically dismembered in recent years. :mad::(

The article seems more concerned about the 'chalcolithic' stage, a bit later, with more focus on the eastern Balkans. See this map:
javascript:pop_me_up2('http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2009/12/01/science/01arch_graphic.html', '1170_993', 'width=1170,height=993,location=no,scrollbars=yes, toolbars=no,resizable=yes')

There's mention of Varna, on the Black Sea coast, and Cucuteni. (Cucuteni really ought to be mentioned in the same breath as Tripolye, and the more western outposts of similar culture in Transylvania, though. 'PACT' the general complex is sometimes refered to as. The painted pottery of Cucuteni-Tripolye, and the enormous settlements are truly astounding)

But talking about this with no mention of Vinca is indeed a sin. :( I know all about Vinca, Rado, but I'm sure other people here would like to see some pics of the famous figurines if you have links?

(I always found Lepenski Vir to be more interesting, though. :thumb001:)

Lepenski Vir was a part of Vinča culture,same as archeological founding near my town,in the area of Starčevo village. At least i think from what i remember about cultures from Neolith period, so dont mind me if i made a mistake:p. About the pics,you will have to wait to get weekend in two weeks :(

[Radojica]

As promised...

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/sr/6/6b/Hajd_vaza.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/85/Vidovdanka.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5b/Lady_of_Vinca.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/00/Vincha_066.jpg

Vinca tools and neckles

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/sr/6/61/Vincanski_nakit.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/sr/2/25/Vinca_orudje1.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/sr/e/ee/Vincanska_kuca3.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/sr/a/ac/Vincanska_kuca1.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/sr/2/24/%D0%90%D0%BC%D1%84%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B0_%D0%B8%D0%B7_ %D0%92%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%87%D0%B5.jpg